03/21/18 Pupdate

The puppies aren’t doing much to celebrate the first snowfall of Spring.  In fact, they haven’t seemed to even notice it and it didn’t accumulate enough to even come inside on any of the big girls’so I don’t think this is going to count as an exposure to snow ;-)

I recall hearing as a child that kids will make a liar out of you every time.  Caly has decided to do a pretty complete about face today and seems to have gotten her sea legs on this motherhood thing.  She is officially beating the alarm, getting in and feeding them herself.  I’m still monitoring them to make sure my rotation happens because she didn’t always stay in the pool with them afterward but she is doing it more.

These are from texts beginning at 2:47am today (with minor edits/corrections)

***I sent a picture (hopefully of Caly in one of the whelping pool with puppies):***
The rest are words (pictures aren’t as big in my world, that whole blindchick thing):  
In THEIR pool.
One of them was pitching a hissy - he about came out of the pool- so she came to check and I talked her into it.  I don’t even have the squirty cheese.

7:03am She just got in their box and laid down to try to nurse them twice while I was doing their cleanup.  After I finished I got her to let me move her to the other box so we can get everybody on but she’s been such a good girl

7:3ish am (There was a picture hopefully of the pools side by side right beside the ottobenbed.  Caly is in one with fleece, puppies are in the one they’ve been using to nurse)
Now she’s just Labradoodling with me ;-). This is AFTER everybody ate and I was changing the linen and going back to sleep.  She got in and dug up pool while I was putting laundry in, then got in again after I fixed it and dragged the other over.
I put the last 2 from that feeding in to see if she’d go but she’s just lying there being a good mama.  She just likes making me change my systems.
8ish Nobody in this house is following my schedule I missed my late evening nap then puppies decided to eat again at 2:45.  At 5:30 Phoebe woke me up to tell me that the puppies needed Something  (more than her toy and licking.)  And now this.  I don’t know whether to move the rest or leave it.  Maybe she wants 2 pools.  Girls vs boys?
I put all of them in with her.  She readjusted position to accomodate ;-)

She may’ve gotten me back on schedule for the day (their schedule at least)

Caly moved out of box but lying beside using it as a pillow ;-)

2something pm: She’s doing it on her own!  (And Phoebe made a nursing puppy potty and then cleaned it up!). She likes the pool out where she can walk all around it and enter without stepping on a puppy.

***Back to what passes for writing on this blog***
The whole rest of the day, she’s been in and out and lying around with them just like she’s supposed to be.  She still likes company/adoration but she is The Chosen One after all ;-)

Phoebe has decided that she has until she has puppies of her own, she’s going to be a lactation consultant.  She IS a working dog after all and at 3 years old, she’s decided she needs a career.  I told her that she wouldn’t have a lot of chances to practice that career around here but she’s pretty sure we’ll keep feeding her and providing her health care so she can ‘find her passion and live her dream’

Colleen came over this evening to meet the pupsters and brought “The Kid” as Uncle Armada calls him.  The girls were on alert until they recognized them and then they were happy to see them.  Caly spent most of their visit in with her puppies (and her back to the humans) while FauxB and GrammieSammie alternated between soliciting affection and making sure they were being careful enough with the puppies.  SDB doesn’t trust just everyone else’s judgement with puppies.  She still watches over (judges) LeAnne ;-)
We finished changing collars out AGAIN.  I made adjustable collars out of paracord because we noticed yesterday that the Hot Pink velcro collar was rubbing. I’ve never had that happen before but have heard of it with other people so I nipped it in the bud.  She’s been streaking and LeAnne and I changed the others to rickrack and ribbons but Tan girl’s kept coming off and that was 2 black streaking girls so something had to be done.  Colleen pointed out that what I was using as red was closer to orange and the one I had as orange was closer to red so we switched those.  Since Orange is the brown girl, it doesn’t matter so much.  And for now, the Tan girl has a white collar because I didn’t have any tan paracord. Maybe I’ll dip some white in coffee or something since Cindi couldn’t find any in local stores today.

I wonder if I should count burning nylon paracord ends as the Scent of the Day...

We held a conference call Weight Watcher’s meeting before Colleen arrived today.  I know they all gained nicely again and I THINK that she said we have a 40ouncer more puppy than when they were born.  (I’m not taking the time to look up what kind of drink comes in a 40 ounce bottle but I am pretty sure I remember a pop culture reference to 40 ouncers.  Just pretend it’s witty and go along as if I am making numbers fun for anyone more than me)
I think they all are pretty trained to opening their mouths when I rub their cheek to put the probiotic paste on their tongues.  It’ll be interesting to see how well that carries over to someone else trying it.   They weren’t as cooperative when Cindi did it the other day but they were much younger then.
I’m going to go sneak some cuddles in and TRY to get my 2 hour sleep/nap.  My prime sleeping time is just before the midnightish feeding and after the 4am ish one.  If I try to sleep but wake up between 4 and daylight, I am up for the rest of the day and I do NOT feel as well as if I get the same amount of sleep but awaken in daylight.  (I feel about the same if I don’t sleep at all) Not that you need to know that but it may help make sense of why I post between 2 and 4 am ;-). I’m staying awake so I can theoretically sleep better later.  The dogs and the puppies have no such issues ;-)
It seems like there was something else to say but I’m certain you can tell it wouldn’t have been earth shattering news so I’ll say Nighty Nighty Nighty to all.